Biofeedback in Psychotherapy [Trends in Future I&M

Abstract

The link between instrumentation and measurement and psychotherapy is investigated for the case of biofeedback. Biofeedback is described as technology-assisted mindfulness. It is a treatment technique in which people are trained to improve their physical and/or mental health by using signals from their own bodies. Trained biofeedback therapists use biofeedback machines to detect a person's internal bodily functions such as heart rate, brainwaves, breathing, muscle activity, and skin temperature, and accurately feedback information about physiological activity. Then a trained therapist uses this information to measure and direct the progress of treatment. Biofeedback therapy facilitates homeostasis, helps the body to correct itself, motivates people to take a more active role in their personal health care, and enhances the positive outcome of more traditional treatments.